Dabba delight

Amarjot Kaur

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Whoever talked about the home food driving one away from home, surely did not hear about the dabbawalas! Known for their uninterrupted services and punctuality, the dabbawalas of Mumbai have set a new benchmark in food supply services, and guess who is inspired by them this time? 

The fine dining Indian restaurant, Saffron, at the JW Marriot, will open a Dabbawala Food Festival from May 11, which will feature the choicest cuisines, exploring the traditional dishes of five states of the country, including Punjab, Maharashtra, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Kashmir. 

While the posters of Bollywood films like Deewar, Coolie, Juile and Sholay inside the restaurant represent the use of dabbas to go with the theme of the festival, the staff at Saffron dons the white kurta-pyjama, a red gamcha scarf and Nehru topi — very typical of the dabbawalas. 

Executive chef Naveen Handa shares that he was more than just inspired by the way the dabbawalas operate, which was enough of a reason for him to do a festival around it. “I read about the dabbawalas on Google and that was that. We want our guests to experience the culinary delights of five states, all packed in a dabba,” he says.

So, if you are still wondering what you are in for, then here’s a little sneak peek into the festival menu. While you stand treated to the traditional drink of Punjab, Mattha, just as you arrive, the appetisers that score a classic ten on our scoreboard are Kosha Mangso (lamb) of Bengal, Murg Kanti and Tabak Maaz of Kashmir and Chapa Vepundu, if you are fond of all things hot and spicy. A table for two costs Rs 1,400 (approx).

(The festival begins on May 11 and will be on till May 21)